


A Moment In Time

by ItsMeEvie01



Series: A Moment in Time Series [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adopted Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois Sugar, F/M, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Lila Rossi salt, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Mentions of Suicide, OOC Jason Todd, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sibling Jasonette, Tropes, background character suicidal thoughts, bustier is a doormat, crossposted on tumblr, look for Before a Moment in Time, neutral Adrien, this has a companion one shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:34:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28870896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsMeEvie01/pseuds/ItsMeEvie01
Summary: Marinette was running late to school when she met him. She ran into the boy and stumbled back, flailing to catch herself before she fell. He looked down at her owlishly, before looking around. By the time he had returned his gaze to her, the teen had pulled herself back together. He smiled and nodded at her, before moving to go around. When Marinette had pulled herself together enough to call a short “sorry!”, He was already gone.
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Jason Todd, Tim Drake/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: A Moment in Time Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143005
Comments: 113
Kudos: 303





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ok, so. a little disclaimer before we get into the good stuff. Cannon is in no way whatsoever being followed in this. honestly? I'm not even sure that I REMEMBER cannon at this point. that said, cannon is non-applicable. at. all. 
> 
> and now....onto the stuff you came here for!

Marinette was running late to school when she met him. She ran into the boy and stumbled back, flailing to catch herself before she fell. He looked down at her owlishly, before looking around. By the time he had returned his gaze to her, the teen had pulled herself back together. He smiled and nodded at her, before moving to go around. When Marinette had pulled herself together enough to call a short “sorry!”, He was already gone.

That was three weeks ago. Now, she was looking at a picture of their interaction, where it blared on the front page of the newspaper that Jagged had sent her. When Marinette had received the package, she had been confused. Jagged wasn’t supposed to send her another demo for a few weeks. They were still working on singles. When she had opened the box and found five different American publications with her on their front page, the teen designer had shrieked. With shaking hands, she picked up the top one and studied the headline.

**_HAS BRUCE WAYNE’S WARD FOUND PARISIAN LOVE?_ **

The bold text was catching, sure, but Marinette was caught on WHO it was placing her with. Someone she had never met. The second one had a picture of her next to Jagged at an event, and a picture of the boy next to a blonde girl. The headline wasn’t much better than the first.

**_TIMELINE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MDC AND THE HEIR TO WAYNE ENTERPRISES._ **

The teen snorted. She was starting to see the pattern. Putting the tabloid down the girl moved onto the next one. This one had, once again, a zoomed-in picture of the five-second interaction between her and a stranger. The title, however, was different than the first two.

**_ALL OF BRUCE WAYNE’S CHILDREN, AND THE INSIDE SCOOP ON HIS NEWEST DAUGHTER_ **

She squinted, laughter bubbling up a little as she observed the piece of fiction. Whoever the Bruce Wayne was, Marinette hopped that he was able to combat this, because she had no intention of letting this fly.

Tim and Bruce were staring at the pile of papers in mild shock. When Jared had reached out to them in mild panic, they had been confused. His panic had been explained when the rocker had arrived carrying a stack of tabloid literature a foot thick. When he had thunk'd the stack down on Bruce’s desk, the businessman’s shock had been more than notable. When Tim had picked up the first few publications the initial look on his face was mirth, but it quickly morphed into shock, then panic. When he handed the top item to Bruce, the older man frowned. When the second pamphlet made its way to his hands, Bruce paused. His next move was to call the Wayne family lawyers. when he turned back to his old friend, all the faces in the room told the same grim tale of what was to come.

When Tim found out that it was Jared’s niece that he had accidentally run into in the brief moment in Paris, he wasn’t sure whether he should be more stressed by it, or if it was by pure luck. When Bruce’s friend went on to explain that the girl would probably already suing the reports and papers that had published the rumor, the young CEO was impressed. To have a lawyer on hand like that was…surprising, considering that she couldn’t be older than 18.

When he asked the rocker if he thought the girl would let anyone go after her, he laughed. Then, Jared Stone explained that the girl was known in Paris for squishing rumors with surprising efficiency.

That evening, Bruce invited his childhood friend home for dinner, and the star spent the evening telling stories of their capers as children, with Alfred grimacing in agreement with the stories. Partway through dinner, Jared’s phone went off. While the rest of the family tensed, glancing to Alfred, their guest frowned at his phone before rushing to answering. “Hey, Little Rocker! How’s Pari- oh. So, Penny was more efficient than I thought she’d be. I- yes I figured that you may want to hear. Do- No! Marinette, what!” here, the man paused, his head cocked to the side, his eyes screwed up in thought. “No Luv! Sue them within an inch of their lives! You more than have that right.” Here, the rocker paused before he laughed. “Tell that buzzing bee of yours that she’s a good friend. Alright, Miss Mari. I’ll ring you when I’m back on that side of the Atlantic.” He laughed again, “See you soon, Marinette.” The table stayed quiet, waiting for the man to give an indication of the status of the conversation. “Well, Brucie, expect to hear from my niece in the next few days, or at least, her team of lawyers.” the Wayne patriarch blinked before nodding in hidden surprise.

When the family was talking during patrol that evening, Tim grumbled. The 18-year-old was still taken aback that the press had even seen the momentary interaction almost a month ago. As his brothers listened in, many of them started to make fun of the teen. When Jason tuned in, he dropped in the middle of the tale. At his confusion, Tim sighed and started over, _again_. While the family was laughing over his run-in with the press, the former Robin shook his head and silenced his family. He had a feeling he wouldn’t live this one down for a while.

Originally, Jason had found Tim’s predicament hilarious. Of course, the kid had to have the worst run-ins with the press. Then, he had picked up one of the many tabloids with the story. When he had seen the pictures, all mirth left the resurrected vigilante. The noirette that was looking up at him from the page? Yeah. He knew her. Better than anyone else, actually. With shaking hands, the young man paged to the story. What he found was…illuminating. So. She had been adopted. In France. In Paris. After forcing his lungs to draw breath, Jason pulled out his phone. He had arrangements to make.

The day after Jagged had sent her the gossip rags that were considered journalism, Marinette strode into school with a scowl so ingrained in her features that anyone who didn’t know her would think the expression was permanent. When she stalked into the Lycée classroom, Chloé grinned at her from where she had settled in the front row. Marinette nodded at her friend as she slid in next to her. Lila came skipping in moments later, a cruel smile playing on her lips, before falling when she saw the bone quaking scowl resting on her nemesis’ face. “oh Marinette! Did something happen? Did…did you anger your parents? Did they find out about all those men?” the other girl huffed before turning to her. Lila froze as she was met with the iciest glare that she had seen in _years_.

“oh, Lila. That’s so cute. It almost sounds like you still think that your little stories affect me at all. That’s…adorable.” The Italian girl shrunk under the younger girl’s stare. Suddenly, she understood why people had been warning her to leave the teen alone. this girl, she was brutal. “lucky for you, you’re not the one I’m after, this time. My lawyers have bigger fish to fry.” The newer addition to the classroom gulped, her throat suddenly very dry. It occurred to her that maybe Marinette had let her take control of the class. After all, if they turn that easily, why would she want them for friends. The smaller girl nodded as she watched the realization run over Lila’s face. Raising her eyebrows, the Eurasian girl motioned her classmate along, sending a cruel smile after her.

Chloé waited until the little liar was gone before giggling at her friend’s reaction to the girl who had become their daily annoyance. “I’m guessing you saw what’s been running in the American news? I thought it wouldn’t take long for you to respond. Are a plethora of lawsuits on the way?” Marinette giggled slightly as her severe demander giving way to the internal glee that was consuming the teen over the sheer chaos that was to come.

When Jason touched down in Paris, he tensed. The atmosphere in the city was less carefree than he remembered. There was an air that actually reminded him of Gotham. Tense. Waiting for the other shoe to drop. The expectation that your day was going to go wrong set from the moment one woke up. Pulling out his phone, the Gotamite looked up the address to the bakery that he had found when digging online. If today went the way he was hoping it would, the bakery would be his only stop for the day. Of course, he didn’t count on Gina.

When she called him over from where she was standing by her bike, Jason had to smile. The woman was part of the reason that he wasn’t still camping out in Gotham, waiting to kill a certain billionaire. Once the spry biker had latched onto his arm, the young man knew that his mission would have to wait just a bit. After all, he owed Gina almost everything he had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everyone enjoyed! this is just the beginning, and I'm hoping that this will pan out the way I want it to
> 
> moving on. YES, I WILL finish B!DBWM stuff eventually. but uh...not today. I just mentally can't. it. will. come. when. my. brain. can. handle. the. world. that. i. had. tailored. for. it. 
> 
> ALSO, this is going to be kinda sporadic, but the goal (not end all be all but) is to have this wrapped in a pretty little package and finished (at least on my end) by the end of February.


	2. Chapter 2

While Gina dragged Jason through Paris, the kidnappee thought through what he knew about the city.

Although Gina Dupain was from the city, they never had the time while he was traveling with her. He had heard the stories of how Roland had charmed her on the banks of the Sein, and how they had gone dancing before her son was born. The stories of the little bakery, of the idyllic life Gina had led before one of her former contacts had threatened her family.

The heartbreak that followed was something Gina refused to talk about as a rule. However, one night after a few too many drinks in Madrid, Jason’s mentor had come undone. The tale that had followed, the heartbreak on both sides of the little family, reminded Jason a little too much of his own family’s tales. Gina’s stories, though entertaining and educational, did not give one a firm basis to go on in a city.

Soon, the duo were standing in the elderly woman’s home. Sitting there in the garage was- “oh Gina you didn’t.” the Biker laughed.

“what, Jason. Did you really think I was going to just leave your bike at the miserable safe house in Shanghai? Please. You know me better than that.” She threw her head back in a laugh at the boy’s stupefied face. “well?” she gestured to a row of hooks by the door, where his familiar keys were hanging.

The red chrysanthemum still hooked onto the key. “Are you going to get your keys, or are you going to make this old lady do it for you?” he jumped, rushing to clutch the old key chain once again. A smile broke over his face as Jason turned to Gina breathing

“Thank you” She smiled at him before opening her arm in a silent answer in form of a hug.

“now, Bambino, we are going to surprise my son. He has no idea what’s going to hit him.”

Marinette had gotten off the phone with her lawyers an hour ago. Now, she was standing at the counter arguing with one of her regulars. After all, a monster may not NEED to go in coffee, but who was going to stop her?

Mark was, apparently. He kept going on about him being a doctor and it being bad for her health? Whatever. She was Apate. She had enough bad luck around her any way that it didn’t really matter what she did.

When she had finally convinced the doctor to sit down and accept that she was well aware how close to an emergency room visit she was, the teen sighed in relief.

Her parents were starting to worry about how much stress she was under, and the 16-year-old was doing her best to convince them that it wasn’t nearly as bad as they thought it was. Her hope was that if she could get them off her back, Marinette would be able to actually start translating the grimoire that she had hidden in her diary box.

The problem was that the two bakers were incredibly close to realizing that she was under much more stress than they originally thought. The ongoing lawsuits, added to her classwork, working at the bakery, her commissions, and the constant hunt to find Paris’ resident supervillain meant that the girl was feeling crushed under her responsibilities. Add to that her adoptive parents hovering, and Marinette was very likely to explode soon.

The bell rang over the door, and the noirette sighed before putting back on her customer service face. She had three more hours before she could go upstairs and take a nap.

And there goes her nap. The smiling face of her grandmother made Marinette smile ruely to herself before she was crushed in the loving arms of Gina Dupain. “Marinetta! Darling! How is my favorite Leetle Fairy?” The girl giggled as she extracted herself from the bone-crushing hug.

“Hey Nona, how are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! its shorter tonight, but this is all really just build-up because as im guessing people have figured out, this is sibling jasonette (duh, its tagged) and i kinda want to be dramatic about their reunion. ALSO, i did some research and it turns out that red chrysanthemums mean hope in some places and death in others, so i thought it was a fitting flower to symbolize Jason and Mari’s relationship. ill go into it more later, but im placing Mari about 5 years younger than Jason pre-death. this will be important later on...
> 
> come visit me on Tumblr! @itsmeevie01


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! almost 3000 words later, here we are!   
> if you didn't see, I went back and changed Mari's Vigilante name. it's Apate now...

After extracting herself from her grandmother’s hug, she giggled and turned to make sure her parents were ok with her leaving the counter. After getting the approving nod from her mother who moved to fill her spot, Marinette skipped around to guide her Nona upstairs. The elderly woman laughed before tugging on her granddaughter’s arm to stop the over-excited teen. “before we go and talk, my Fairy, I want you to meet someone. He was just going to put the up-” the bell rang again as Gina spoke, and when the duo looked over, Marinette froze. The smile that had been floating on her face sliding off in shock as a face came into view she hadn’t seen in 11 years.

“Jason?”

The room seemed to freeze at Marinette’s question, the crack in her voice pulling her parent’s attention. The man entering the building zeroed in on her, his eyes widening as he looked to where his name had been called. “Marinette.” He breathed her name before striding towards the small girl and pulling her into a tight hug. The teen clung to him in return, shaking as she was enveloped in her older brother’s arms for the first time in years.

“Are- Are you. This isn’t.”

“No, Mari, this isn’t a dream. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” A sob crawled its way up the teen’s throat as she buried her face in her brother’s shirt. From somewhere outside of their little world, the girl could hear someone calling her name. Someone was trying to get her attention. Jason poked her in the side, obviously concerned. “do you want to answer them or should I?” when she looked up at him confused, her older brother sighed before smiling down at her. “I’ll take care of it.”

When Marinette finally started to tune back into the world around her, they were upstairs. When she looked around, she realized that it wasn’t late afternoon anymore, but it was mid-evening. The lights outside the window glowed in the darkness, and a light rain falling. Shaking her head, Marinette forced herself to focus on what was going on in the small sitting room of the apartment. Jason was still next to her, and Gina was perched on the side of the chair opposite them. Her parents were sitting on the couch, looking at her in concern. “I…. what did I miss?” Her father’s laugh made the embarrassed teen lookup.

“Oh, little flower.” The fondness in his voice led to Marinette looking up. He made a face at that that she returned before the two started to laugh. Her mother elbowed him, before smiling at her.

“Welcome back, dear. Don’t worry, there weren’t too many stories making their rounds.” The girl flushed before turning back to her brother.

“What did you- “

“Don’t worry, Mari. I didn’t tell them any of the good stories. I just filled them in. It’s not every day that a strange guy comes in and starts hugging their kid.” She scowled at him before nodding.

“ok.”

“Marinette, why didn’t you ever tell us about Jason? If we had known…” The siblings cringed.

“I… um.”

“She got caught. At the time Marinette didn’t know where I was because I was trying to get her out without the police or social workers figuring it out.” Tom froze, confusion obvious on his face.

“what do you mean, Caught?” Jason glanced at his sister, surprised.

“you didn’t tell them?” the teen shrugged.

“I didn’t think that it was important once I got here. Jason, you know what it was like. Why would I want to relive it once I was away? It…it was like a fairy tale. Well,” here the girl flushed. “Once I stopped trying to run away and board a plane. Something about that made them kinda frustrated.” Her older brother threw his head back and laughed.

“only you Mari. Only you would try to sneak on a transatlantic flight.” He studied her. “how far did you get?” the girl smiled devilishly.   
“they were taxiing for takeoff before they realized that there was something wrong.” He snorted before holding his hand out for a high-five.

“nice.” The Dupain-Cheng couple gaped at the duo in shock while Gina laughed.

“you- you. Why is that? She could have been hurt!” Jason raised an eyebrow at that.

“Mr. Dupain, have you ever seen Mari in action? If she was going to get hurt, she would have gotten off or taken care of the threat.”

“I-she CAN?” the girl laughed.

“Papa, you have to remember how tame Paris is compared to Gotham. I don’t have the need for many of the skills I picked up while I was a kid. Plus,” here the girl sent her brother a side-eye glare. “I felt safe here. And I kept an eye on Jason. I have an ongoing hack of the GCPD.” Jason froze before whipping around to gape at her.

“YOU WHAT.” The look of shock on her face made the girl giggle.

“I figured that if you were getting into trouble I would be able to see what was going on better that way. Of course, there is that other hacker…they keep pushing me out. But it's fine. Whoever Oracle is, they are always a step behind.” Jason gaped at her.

“Mari. You’re out hacking Oracle? She-Uh THEY are legendary! It’s said that she helps the Bats!” The teen sniggered at his response.

“then they need a new hacker. I’ve been out hacking them since I was 8. And if you ever meet them, you are more than welcome to tell them that. It’s a shame, really.” Jason stared at her, shocked.

“oh, Mari. PLEASE don’t pick a fight with the Bats again. Or, you know, their INTERNATIONALLY FAMOUS hacker.” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“wanna bet? I can win a war with them by the end of the week. And the Bats are just wimps. We’ve been over this.” Gina Dupain chose this moment to interrupt her granddaughter.

“Marinetta, what does Jason mean start a fight with Batman again?” The teen started to invent new shades of red.

“I…may have started loudly calling Robin names and when he came to stop me I beat him in a fight. With Jason’s help, of course.” The older woman studied Jason with a knowing look that confused Marinette before she shelved the conversation for another time.

Through the din of the conversation that the five had fallen into as Jason and Marinette caught up and Gina explained how she knew Jason cut the dinner timer. Sabine smiled and she rose to gather the plates needed for the group. As she did so, she motioned Marinette to join her. Once the two were standing over the oven as Sabine pulled out the chicken and Marinette served the rice and green beans to go with, the mother paused and looked at her daughter in worry. “Marinette, why didn’t you tell us about your brother? We could have tried to bring him over-” she was cut off by the noirette shaking her head.

“no, mama. Jason was the one to teach me to avoid CPS and the GCPD. Everything I knew? He knew and was able to do better. I was caught because I was trying to help another kid who didn’t know what they were doing and took me down with them. The only reason he got caught at all is probably because he did something incredibly stupid and daring.” The Chinese woman nodded before pulling her daughter into a hug.

“well, I’m glad that we got you, even if it's because of another person’s mistakes. You are the greatest blessing in your father’s and my life.” The girl ducked her head as she hugged her mother in return.

“I love you too, mama.”

At dinner, Gina regaled them with stories of her adventures with Jason. When Tom expressed his surprise at some of the things Jason had tagged along on the Gotamite laughed.

“you do know the only reason Bruce got me was because I was caught stealing the tires off the Batmobile, right?” Marinette choked, snapping to lock eyes with her mother.

“I told you he did something stupid.” The woman laughed in agreement, while Tom studied the young man in front of him.

“who did you say adopted you? A Bruce?” Jason rolled his eyes.

“Bruce Wayne. Gotham’s resident billionaire, and the collector of lost children.” Marinette narrowed her eyes.

“This wouldn’t be the same Bruce Wayne that the entirety of the media has decided I’m either dating the son of or am the newest child of, would it?” Jason laughed.

“yup, defiantly the same Bruce. To be fair, he’s been on a quiet kick with the adopting thing. We think he’s planning something. And, in my defense, the only reason I knew what was going on was Tim can into my apartment simmering in anger that the press was stalking him again.” He paused, “oh and I went to pick up one of the tabloids so that I could immortalize his shame and was met with your face.” Here he turned to Marinette. “if they hadn’t run that story, I may never have seen you again.” The watery smile that he was met with made him smile.

“let go back to the Batmobile for a moment. What were you going to do, just leave a note after taking the tires? Write a quick thanks and leave?” Sabine’s humor quickly lightened the atmosphere as everyone laughed.

“no, actually. I was going to leave a red chrysanthemum.” Jason’s response made Marinette break into giggles.

“you were going to leave my sign? Jason!” the rest of the table looked around, clearly lost. Taking pity on them, Marinette went on to explain. “the red chrysanthemum is my favorite flower. It's also one that we were able to get ahold of easily in Gotham. Jason always called me his Chrysanthemum because it means to hope. He called my Chrys when we were with other kids so that I was harder to track. He literally called me his hope for years. It's also why,” here she looked her grandmother dead in the eye, “they are the symbol for my brand.” The older woman tossed her head back in a laugh.

“Only you, Marinetta. Only you.

After dinner and Gina and Jason had reluctantly left for the night, the Dupain-Cheng family sat and talked together a while more before separating to move towards bed. After all, they did have a bakery to open in the morning. When Marinette was sure that her parents were asleep, she opened her chaise. There, buried under piles of blankets and spare fabric and next to one of her specialized embroidery machines that had been packed away to save space was a black rectangular box with a red chrysanthemum carved into it. Breathing a sigh of relief, the teen pulled out the box and settled her hand on top of it, letting her magic seep into the wood. A moment later, the box was expanding, opening, and giving her access to the box of the Miraculous of the Chinese Zodiac. Plagg zipped to join her as she studied the jewels in front of her before settling her hand on the Bee Miraculous that she had been puzzling over for weeks. The Kwamii looked at her before he finally sighed. “kid you know what you need to do. As much as we don’t like it, the girl is a good match for Pollen. Plus, you and the Bug need a rest. Without the Bee, you know that the rest of your team won’t fall into place.” She smiled at the Kwamii before looking down again.

“I know Plagg, but…what if she says no? Lady Tyche and I can only do so much, and I don’t want to open our group to someone who is going to pull an Alya. I spent months training her with Tyche before we even let her come to an attack, and she still had the audacity to believe Lila. I don’t want to bring someone else into the fold and have them flake.” The miniature cat god nodded at his chosen as she drifted for a moment, thinking about days gone by. “ok Plagg, Let’s Make Mischief!” as her transformation fell over her, Apate stretched, preparing to wander into the night. Her luminous blue eyes, catlike and glowing in the night, narrowed as she made the jump, her black boots landing on the balcony. The black suit resembled a black track jacket, with the bottom half resembling close-cropped cargo pants. Her boots, while silent, had a heel, giving the petit girl a very well needed few inches. Her black hair, while long and free-flowing in daily life, was now held back in a French braid. The gauntlets on her forearms glinted silver in the moonlight, and the bracers on her shins reflected the light from the streets below. Apate’s hands flexed, the reinforced gloves flashing as her claws extended. A small smile crawled over the Vigilante’s face as she scanned the ridgeline of the building across from her before she detached her baton and let herself fly away from the small bakery.

When she landed at the Tower, the cat-like Vigilante settled herself on one of the beams looking out over the night. Her eyes focused on a figure in the distance and followed it as it made it’s way closer. When the figure landed next to her, Apate grinned up at Lady Tyche. The Blonde smiled down at her more violent companion. Her braided ponytail shifted in the wind, and the dark mask made the smaller girl roll her eyes. After almost four years, the two were pretty good at reading each other. As Lady Tyche settled next to Apate, the red hero smiled. Her garnet suit shifted in the moonlight. The black reinforced areas along her shins and arms seeming to disappear into the night to the naked eye. The older miraculous wielder had been apprehensive to let Apate redesign her suit from the bright red that had black spots everywhere. Apparently, it was a Tikki staple. When Apate had shown Tyche the simple garnet suit with the black shading on her sides, and the reinforcement on her arms, the hero had changed her tune. That had been three years ago, and since then the girls had grown closer. They had realized somewhere down the line that they must be in the same grade because they had chosen names that mirrored the Greek goddesses they had been learning about. When Apate had found out the box was based on the Chinese zodiac, she had laughed to herself. By then, it had been too late to change her name to honor the origin of the box.

That evening, the two had gotten together to once again debate the idea of adding a certain Bee to their ranks. This had been a topic for almost a year and the duo was apprehensive at the thought of adding an unknown this far into their battle.

“What did Tikki say?” When Apate broke their silence, Tyche sent her a small smile. They both knew that Apate was the more anxious of the duo. There was a reason she worked better in the shadows. The idea of adding the Bee, well it was keeping her up at night.

“She was all for it. After she heard what Wayzz had said, she agreed with him. adding another holder and setting up our team is the right move.” The girls exchanged looks. Apate took a deep breath before nodding.

“Plagg and I have been talking. With our final year in Lycée ending in eight months, he agreed that we need to try ad wrap this up.” Tyche snorted.

“I don’t know about you, but I am ready to leave Paris. If I can leave for University, it would be amazing.” Apate nodded in agreement.

“Does that mean we should go visit Chloé?” Tyche hesitated.

“Actually, I was thinking. I know that we have been careful, for years now, but we both know that we’re getting closer to our identities. Would, would it be ok if we-” understanding settled on Apate’s face. She thought for a moment before nodding.

“well, there isn’t a Guardian to tell us no anymore. Plus, it might be good for us.” Both girls laughed as they stood. “how about this. I have to go get the Bee anyway, so come with me, and we can do the reveal nearby. That way we can be sure its in a secluded place.” Tyche nodded as she readied her yoyo.

“which way, Kit-Cat?” Apate laughed and jumped off the tower, letting herself start the trek back to the quaint Bakery that currently was housing miniature gods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK! so, Apate is the greek goddess of Deceit, Tyche is the Greek goddess of luck. I wanted unique names. that's all. 
> 
> moving on, I’m not sure if anyone had noticed or not, but I think I’m allergic to having Adrien as Chat Noir. I’m debating adding him in as another Miraculous but we will see. I can’t really think of one I like for him.
> 
> yes! chrysanthemums are going to play a big part in this. I'm goign to clear a little bit of this up too. Marinette was adopted by the Dupain-Chengs when she was about 5. she is Jason’s half-sister. she is incredibly bright and I have a thing for crazy smart Mari so she skipped 2 grades and is a year away from university. she does not know Jason died yet. At the time where Mari was kinda out of it, I’m using it as a plot device so that I can skip stuff. basically, Jason explains that Mari is his little half-sister and that they were out on the streets all of her early life before CPS picked her up. they share a father, not a mother. Jason is crazy protective of her.
> 
> anywhoooooo have a good one yall, and ill see you soon with another chapter, probably.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's a short one tonight! this is important though because we are setting up the group's support system for later on. after all, we all want *Gotham Shenanigans*

When Apache and Lady Tyche landed on the roof of the Beauréal home, Tyche glanced over at her companion in confusion. The other teen smiled at her and launched herself into the sky once again.

As Tyche followed, she realized that they were sticking closer to the ground. Whoever Apate was, she lived nearby. When they landed on a very familiar bakery, the blonde blinked. Apate had settled herself against the chimney, balancing on the ridge.

Quickly skirting the roof to settle opposite her partner, Tyche couldn’t help but glance over the cat’s shoulder. If Marinette decided that she wanted to sit outside late at night, they were in trouble.

“Tyche, we are safe here. The roof is at the right height that no one will be able to see us.” Apate’s words soothed the hero, and she studied the girl. Now that they weren’t moving, Tyche could see the slight tremor in her hands. “ready?” they shared a smile, and the girls called out the phrases that so many would never know. “Plagg, Mischief Managed!”

“Tikki, let's land!” as the roof lit up with their detransformations, the girls closed their eyes. When they hear Tikki call an excited “Plagg!” two sets of blue eyes snapped open. Aurore froze for a second, before squealing.

“Marinette! Oh my god!” the two hugged, smiles lighting up their faces before navigating to the balcony that the teen had furnished with enough plants to hide them from late-night pedestrians.

For the next half hour, they sat talking. Aurore and Marinette traded stories and fitting together the events of the past four years. They only stopped when Tikki pointedly reminded them that they still needed to go talk to a certain heiress.

Marinette let herself slide into her room before hopping off of her bed and scurrying to the box she had hidden away. When the girl reappeared on the balcony, the long-time partners traded smiles and transformed before taking off across the rooftops towards the Grand Paris Hotel.

When Chloé was woken up, she thought she was dreaming.

Standing on the other side of the glass, standing on her balcony, was Lady Tyche and Apate. The shock that ran through the teen’s mind would have frozen many of her classmates, but the blonde had always prided herself on being made of sterner stuff.

As she slid her feet into slippers and pulled on a robe, Chloé let her mind run over the last year. On the top of her head, she couldn’t think of anything that could have gotten her in trouble with the duo.

With a fortifying breath, Chloé opened the doors leading to the balcony. “Lady Tyche, Apate. To, uh, what do I owe the pleasure? I…haven’t done anything wrong, have I?” Lady Tyche smiled at the girl’s concern.

“No, Chloé. You have done nothing wrong. In fact,” here, the Hero turned to the vigilante who was leaning against the railing. “we came because of the exact opposite reason.” Chloé felt some tension release from her shoulders at her idol’s statement. Then, what she had said caught up to her.

“I, um. What did you come here for?” The nerves that could be heard at the end pf her question made Apate smile softly.

“do you have somewhere we can talk? There’s an opportunity that you might be interested in.” Chloé nodded quickly and lead the two into her suit before pausing and closing the drapes. Then, she gestured towards what the duo assumed was a closet. What they found instead was a room with a desk and a small sitting room. Of course, the heiress had her own office.

“We shouldn’t be bothered in here. Is everything ok? Are,” she hesitated. “are you in legal trouble?” the other girls paused and shared a glance, shocked.

“No!” Lady Tyche’s quick response made the other blonde giggle in relief.

“oh good. Ok. My- my friend has this habit of thinking of the worst scenario first and I guess I might have picked up on it.” The girl now looked more than slightly sheepish which made the other two laugh with her.

“we may not be in trouble, Chloé, but we did come here for your help.” Apate’s quiet voice brought the rest of the quiet laughter to a stop. “this is an opportunity to do good in the City of Paris. If, of course, you are willing.” Chloé’s eyes widened as she listened to the soft explanation.

“what would you have me do?” she breathed, excitement dancing across her face.

“Join us?” Lady Tyche’s reply had the girl whipping her head around to stare at the hero.

“what? Really? You. You. The protectors of Paris want. Me. To help?” the shock on her features made the hero smile and the vigilante fight back a laugh.

“yes, Chloé Bourgeoise,” the seriousness in Apate’s voice had her looking back in the quieter girl’s direction. If she kept this up she was going to give herself whiplash. “this is the Miraculous of the Bee. Can we trust you?” the girl’s blue eyes were suddenly more intense than Chloé had ever seen them.

In Apate’s hand was a small octagonal box that had a glowing yellow carving on it. “can we trust you to protect both the City of Paris and her people. Can we trust you to protect not only your own miraculous but any others you may come in contact with? Even at the cost of your own life?”

The heaviness in the vigilante’s voice reminded her why these girls were seen as infallible. It reminded her why they fought day and night to protect their city. And they were asking her to join them. Letting her mind fully catch up with what they were asking of her, Chloé studied the two who were standing in her small study.

The girls who were asking her to do more than anyone else ever had.

“yes, Apate. You and Lady Tyche can trust me.” The girl nodded before handing over the small box.

“then welcome to Team Miraculous, Chloé”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW, lots of meat in this one. not as much double meaning, but I like my symbolism, so there will be more soon.  
> as promised, I'm going to try and focus more on what's going on with the Waynes in the next chapter, but if it runs away from me, remember this beast has a life of its own.
> 
> also, I was thinking about it, and I may do a little one-shot to go with this. something about the years before this to clear up class dynamics and Marinette's relationships.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! lots of things to come, and a slightly longer, Tim centered, chapter! and...the build-up to the Timari subplot! Yay! I know that is what everyone is actually here for lol.

Tim was tired of looking for Jason.

He wasn’t at any of his normal safe houses, and none of his usual contacts had heard from him in the last few weeks. Three weeks after the ridiculous scandal had broken, the press had all but forgotten Tim for the time being. As he ducked through alleyways, the teen couldn’t help but be thankful as he climbed back on his bike and sped back towards Wayne Manor.

He was done waiting for his brother to show up. There was something sketchy going on in their city, and if Jason wasn’t going to show up, then it was no longer his concern.

When he got home, Tim found Bruce waiting for him in the study looking over the side gardens. The older C.E.O.’s face was grim.

When Tim approached the desk, Bruce handed him a stack of papers. As Tim started to page through them, he had a flashback to when Jared Stone had brought the pile of tabloids.

As he flipped through the new stack, Tim realized that it was Jason’s credit card statement. And-was that…? “did he buy a ticket for Paris? Why didn’t we get notified about his passport passing through customs? Why is Jason in France of all places?” when he looks back at his adoptive father, the man’s face was grim.

“I don’t know, Tim. But we sure as hell are going to find out. Go to his apartment. I know you have a key. We need to see if he left anything out from before he left.” Bruce paused before adding, “he’s been gone for two weeks. There has to be a reason.” Tim nodded as he moved to stride from the room before Alfred spoke, shocking both Bruce and Tim.

“Maser Bruce, did you by chance call Master Jason? Last I remember, his cell phone was still working.” The father and son froze, before turning to the family Butler, slack-jawed.

“We really are stupid.”

Damian didn’t see anything wrong with Todd being gone. It was quieter around the Manor and it meant that the 13-year-old was allowed to patrol through Crime Alley by himself, something none of his predecessors had been able to do at his age.

As the young teen flew over the city, his mind raced. He found this the most relaxing part of his time with his father.

At the manor, there was always something going on and there was always someone looking over his shoulder. Here, as he went rooftop to rooftop, arching over this city, the boy was able to finally find some peace.

A sound over his earpiece broke Robin from his quiet elation. “Robin, how are you doing? Is everything clear?” oracle’s voice filtered through, bringing him to relax. Oracle he could handle.

“it’s a regular night, Oracle. A few of the regulars. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“perfect. Finish up and head back, B wants you back before 2 because you have school tomorrow.”

The annoyed “Tch” that came down the line made the redhead laugh from where she sat at the computer.

Tim had texted Jason before he had left for patrol. When he got back, there was a response waiting for him.

**_Jason: in Paris. I’ll be back soonish_ **

**_Tim: Jay, what’s soonish?_ **

**_Tim: there’s a situation we need your help with._ **

**_Jason: kid, I'll be back when I can._ **

**_Jason: if B cares, tell him Gina kidnapped me. I’m staying with her right now._ **

**_Jason: otherwise, just wait. It's personal business._ **

**_Tim: Jay, we are your family. Doesn’t that make it our business too?_ **

**_Jason: in this case, no. fuck off, replacement_ **

**_Tim: See you when you get back Jay_ **

The teen sighed. It was just like Jason to try and handle everything himself. This time, Tim couldn’t play interference either, he was stuck across an ocean. He just hoped this Gina person wasn’t as impulsive as his older brother. If she was, they would all be in trouble.

As he made his way to his room, having showered and gotten himself ready for the next day, Tim paused by his desk.

He had taken the time to compile a file on the girl from a few weeks ago but hadn’t read it yet. He knew that if he was to read it, it would be violating her privacy, but he did that every day, so was this any different? To Tim, the only difference was that this girl wasn’t someone to watch or take in. she was just a normal girl with a normal life, who had run into him for a split second.

It wasn’t like he was going to meet her, right?

The teen shook his head and flopped onto his bed. It wasn’t worth it tonight. He could have the moral debate with himself when he was properly rested.

Maybe he should have called in sick. Tim was definitely finding a way to leave early, as he looked at the list of meetings that he had been scheduled for.

Why had he agreed to this again? He could have sworn that he had told his assistant that Wednesday was his day to go home and work on his college classes. Instead, Tim had a feeling that he was going to be at the office late.

On his off night too.

Partway through the day, he noticed an email that he didn’t recognize in his personal inbox. The inbox that he probably shouldn’t have been checking on the company computer but…

After a moment of hesitation, the young C.E.O. had clicked on the new email and blinked at what pulled up.

From: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

To: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

Mr. Drake,

My name is Marinette Dupain Cheng. I believe that we ran into each other quite literally a month and a half ago, approximately. As I am sure that you have at least seen the fictitious stories floating through the media, I assume that you are aware of the interaction that I am referring to.

Originally, I had no intention of reaching out, but a friend of mine encouraged me to reach out. (had actually was the one to give me your email. Does the name Jason Todd ring a bell?) I do hope that this whole press fiasco hasn’t hindered you too terribly.

Kindest Regards,

Marinette Dupain Cheng

Tim blinked once before rereading the short email that the girl had sent. No. no way. She knew Jason? And what did she mean, Jason was the one to encourage her to reach out? Opening up a new draft, Tim hesitated before flicking his wrists to rid himself of tension and trying his reply.

From: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

To: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

Miss Dupain Cheng,

I was surprised to receive your email, but it seems that it came at a fortunate time. Yes, I do know Jason Todd. I know him quite well, actually. He and I were adopted by the same man, Bruce Wayne. If you don’t mind me asking, how did you meet my brother?

I must apologize, for the whole scandal from last month. I know that neither of us were directly responsible, but I do feel bad for any trouble it may have caused you. If it is not too much of an intrusion, I might also ask, how were you able to respond so quickly? The only reason I knew about the incident was Bruce’s old friend Jared. The man came into my office in a fit about the nerve of the photographer.

(if you ever meet the man, you will understand what I mean when I say that he never does things halfway. He had picked up a copy of every magazine or tabloid that ran a story about it. When he came in, he actually brought his crocodile as well. Fang scared the lobby staff more than anything has for the past bit, I believe.)

I hope this finds you well,

Timothy Drake Wayne

After reading through his email one more time to make sure it sounded professional enough, Tim hit the send button and let out a deep breath that he didn’t know he had been holding. He didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that this was the start of something important.

Suddenly, Tim was very glad he hadn’t read the girl’s file.

As he was preparing to head to yet another meeting later that afternoon, Tim glanced at his personal email again. To his surprise, the teen was met with another email from the French girl.

From: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

To: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

Mr. Drake (or is it Drake Wayne?)

Jason was sitting next to me when I opened your last email. Imagine my surprise when he panicked. Apparently, he had decided against informing any of his family of his departure. I must say, his reaction was quite entertaining.

Onto your question from your email, Penny Rolling, a good friend of mine, dropped off a box full of the tabloid trash that her husband, Jagged had shipped to her as soon as she got it. After my initial reaction, the two of us got a good laugh out of the whole situation. Especially when we heard that Jagged tried to bring Fang into your office! I guess to you, he would be Jared, but to me, he will always be my Uncle Jagged.

In other news, I thought it would be polite to pass on that Jason will be returning in the next few days. He has been fretting over a family emergency, not that he will tell me what it is but, there is only so much I can do. However, I thought it might be prudent to forewarn you that he will be bringing my grandmother back with him. Nona said it was something to do with one of his ‘side hustles’. Knowing those two, however, makes me think that Jason has gotten himself into something significantly illegal this time.

No need to apologize for something that neither of us could control! You did not ask for the photographer to take that ridiculous photo, nor did you ask for the fiction writers who work for the tabloids to write a piece of the photo. That said, I do feel that it has opened many new avenues. I know that Jason and I reconnected because of the photo, and it has given my lawyers something to focus on while we wait on proceedings for other matters.

Have a good day,

Marinette Dupain Cheng

Jason was coming home sooner than he planned. It seemed like Tim’s text had actually gotten through to his older brother.

With a sigh, he marked the email as important so that he would remember to respond to it before he started on his homework.

The teen C.E.O. snagged his thermos of coffee on the way out the door, he had a meeting to go to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And...there it is! this week I'm going to try and work out my posting schedule. what did everyone think of the emails? 
> 
> i know that there are a lot more people in the Wayne/bat family, so I'm going to work them in a little bit at a time. as far as Dick Grayson is concerned, btw he knows about the scandal but not about Jason's sister or that he's not in Gotham.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god. yall, this is close to 4000 words by itself. the doc is over 11000 words now. 
> 
> let me known what you think of this. it has a lot, and there are multiple plots being set up here...
> 
> in other news, I think I have a posting schedule figured out. the goal will be to post Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. that way I can focus on school as well.
> 
> Enjoy!!

Marinette rolled over and grabbed for her phone. After school, the girl had come home and crashed. She had been up half the night fighting an Akuma and had spent the other half working on commissions that needed to be sent out soon. The sound of her phone receiving a message forced her to open her eyes. Looking back at her were the words

“email received-Tim Drake Wayne”

After her brain caught up, Marinette shot up, quickly working to open her phone and see what the C.E.O she had been corresponding with had sent.

From: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

To: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

Miss Dupain Cheng,

Do you mean t say that your grandmother is Gina Dupain? The crazy biker ninja lady? Your father is Tomas Dupain? I really hope so, because that means that our families are closer than we might have thought. I am surprised that it took this long for me to make this connection. Truly, it was when you mentioned that Jason and your Nona were returning together that made me realize who you must be related to.

On another strain of thought, thank you for the forewarning about Jason’s imminent arrival. We have been trying to contact him for the last week, but as my grandfather reminded me, we tend to forget about things like cellphones…

If you don’t mind me asking, I do have a question for you that has been lurking in the back of my mind. The tabloids called you MDC who, as far as I know, is a French designer. Of course, the website went down a while ago and there were rumors that they were rebranding. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it? If that is you, its really impressive that you have been able to launch a career in fashion while still in school.

You said that Penny Rolling was the one who brought the magazines to you? Does that mean that you are the one who called Jared during that dinner? If I remember correctly, the person on the other line was more than slightly panicked.

On that note, Paris IS where you live, right? We both were not on vacation? Because that night at dinner it was at least 6 pm. That would be midnight in Paris. I do hope that the ‘scandal’ did not keep you up.

I hope all is well,

Tim Drake Wayne

P.S. I apologize if this is stepping out of bounds, but I thought I would include this since it has to do with the drama from the ‘scandal’.

My best friends just got ahold of one of the magazines from a few weeks ago. They tried to ambush me in my office after a meeting. One of them, Connor, was shocked, and the other, Stephanie, thought that this was prime teasing materials. When they realized that this had happened a month ago, both were very disappointed. After the initial shock, however, Connor just asked me if I had bribed you into a photo-op. My father was in the room and ended up chasing both Connor and Stephanie out after that.

Marinette couldn’t help but laugh to herself at the description of what the older teen’s friends had done. Smiling to herself, Marinette jumped off her bed and slid into her computer chair. After waking up the desktop, the girl navigated to her email. Reopening the message from the boy across the ocean, Marinette rolled her eyes at the excitement the boy held at the prospect of who her grandmother was with the phrase ‘crazy biker ninja lady’. It seemed that Tim had actually met Nona. 

As she read over the email again, her eye caught on part of the message that she had missed before. He had figured out her identity as MDC. Well, it looked like he was as smart as the rumors claimed. After all, even with them being in her class, most of her classmates had not put the pieces together.

Bracing herself, Marinette moved to respond.

From: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

To: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

Mr. Drake Wayne,

It is quite entertaining to see someone describe my grandmother as a ‘crazy biker ninja lady’. I do believe you missed a few adjectives. Ones like spontaneous, violent, devious, and incredibly creative. However, yes, my Nona is Gina Dupain, biker vigilante supreme. I am quite surprised that you have heard of her. I know that she and Jason adventured together for a while, but neither of them has been really forthcoming about the time they spent. All I know is that they got separated in Shanghai. Nona brought Jason’s bike to her house in Paris afterward. I remember that time because it was just after Hawkmoth had started to amp up his attacks. Nona had to leave for a time so that she wouldn’t be akumatized.

I see that you did a little bit of digging! Yes, I am MDC. Well, was. You are correct, as well, that I am going under rebranding after some slander from a few troublemakers. It was something that I felt was necessary to positively move my brand forward in the direction I wanted. I appreciate the compliment about launching my line while in school! Jagged and Clara are partially to blame for that.

Speaking of Jagged, yes, that was me! Wow, I hadn’t realized that he had been with other people at the time. I guess you could say that I immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario and had to reel myself back into the realm of reason. Jagged has always been willing to help bring me back. If he had told me he was at dinner, I would have called back! Actually, knowing him, that exactly why Jagged didn’t.

I do live in Paris! I had been up late for the past few nights when the tabloids caused trouble, so I was geared up for a long night anyway. Well, and I was working on a commission. That night, they had to take my coffee away. I stayed up until the early hours of the morning actually…

Have a good evening,

Marinette Dupain Cheng

P.S. you were not out of line! Your friends sound like fun, even if they don’t pay attention to the rest of the world…

My best friend, Chloé knew about the same time I did and had already called my lawyers to prepare them. She works with me as a PR manager, so she was already in damage control mode. We are known for being especially vicious with people who spread rumors and slander.

Chloe is also the one who took my coffee. (and still does!) the other day she saw me making it and nearly had a heart attack. Apparently, it’s uncommon to add energy drinks and extra espressos in addition to the normal fixings. Who knew?

After rereading the email to make sure she hadn’t made any grievous spelling errors, Marinette pressed send before turning off her computer and climbing into bed. She wanted to try and get some actual sleep tonight.

Instead of getting the sleep she wanted, Marinette was woken up around three in the morning by Plagg pulling at her hair.

The small god looked frenzied. With a sigh, the girl pulled herself out of bed. With a wince, she slipped off the top bunk, landing soundlessly on the floor.

After she had slipped into a pair of leggings and a sports bra, the teen slid into a set of running shoes and slid a small, plain domino mask into her pocket. Grabbing the bag of goodies that she had been planning on bringing to Tyche the next time she saw the girl, Marinette scrambled up her bed and slipped out onto her balcony.

When she stood on the railing, the girl surveyed the once sleeping city. Out over the city was some kind of floating thing…looking like a carpet of sorts. A glowing carpet. Cringing, Marinette resigned herself to the insanity of the Akuma.

Hiding her bag on her balcony, Marinette took a deep breath, “Plagg, Let’s Make Mischief!” the flash of a dark navy light glowed dimly in the night before Apate was standing there, preparing to launch herself out over the city to find her partner and figure out what the Akuma had done to her city.

When Lady Tycheand Apate found each other near their old Collège, they saw the flash of yellow in the distance that meant whoever Chloé had become was on the way.

The two stood, pooling their observations as they watched the still floating carpet like thing make its way across the city, pausing to light any lamp that wasn’t lit. To the girls, it was disconcerting, because it had been a long time since they had fought a peaceful Akuma. Frankly, both thought it was some kind of trick.

At the sound of feet almost silently hitting the roof they were on, the hero and vigilante turned to meet a bee themed girl tucking away wings. Her hands were braced on her hips, the black material almost blending into the night. The deep golden stripes on her legs and arms, paired with the horizontal Vs on her torso painted the thought of the typical stripes. The ends of the miraculous holder’s arms leading to her gloves were a very dark navy. Apate glanced down and found that the girl’s feet were encased in a pair of similarly colored boots. Her eyes, while normally were a striking, icy blue, were now glowing yellow.

No one ever said that Chloé lacked flair.

The three smiled at each other and the more experienced of the trio caught their new member up to speed. As they turned to track the Akuma, Apate gasped. “Wait! They…they have something to do with light, right? Could they be scared of the dark?” Lady Tyche nodded in understanding.

“let's go see what they can do with that light of theirs.”

It turned out the Akuma, Night Light (real creative, Hawkmoth), was capable of throwing the light.

Great.

As it hit Lady Tyche’s yoyo, she let a string of curses. The yoyo was now floating, illuminating the area. With a tug that would have sent a normal person tumbling, the hero broke her weapon free and ran over the rooftops, rushing to catch up as her new teammate flew up to meet Night Light.

“Who are you?” the small child snarled as they sat there, floating on what was not a carpet, but a mattress.

“Princess Meli, at your service, lightning bug.” The ease that Princess Meli used to evade the Akuma told Lady Tyche enough about the new hero’s work ethic. She had been practicing on the DL it seemed. With a gesture to Apate, Tyche easily murmured her plan to her long-time partner. The cat listened before smiling at her friend.

“Are you sure we can pull this off?” Tyche paused before pulling the girl with her behind a chimney towards the already lit part of the city.

“ducking behind chimneys, Ty? I thought we left that behind two years ago.” Lady Tyche cut Apate a scathing look that made her partner laugh and hold her hands up. “you know I had to, Tyche. You can't avoid it now.” The ladybug sighed and glanced over her shoulder to check on Princess Meli before throwing her still slightly glowing yoyo into the air with a prayer that it would still work.

“Lucky Charm.” Into her hands fell blackout powder. A second later, Apate caught a small vile of knockout gas. “dam it, Tikki! Not what I was thinking” Apate giggled at her partner’s frustration and gestured for Lady Tyche to lead the way. “fine, let's go get Princess Meli. This needs to go quickly, I have an exam in a few hours.”

A quick move to isolate Night Light at the tower, the use of Princess Meli’s wings to disperse the blackout powder, and the use of Apate to slip through with her night sight and utilize the knockout gas, and the mattress had been cataclysmed. Lady Tyche caught the black fluttering butterfly as it moved away from the former Akuma that revealed itself to be a tearstained little girl.

Apate moved to bring the girl over to her hero partners as Tyche’s lovely of ladybug helpers flew around the city putting it to right. The small girl’s eyes fluttered open, her brown orbs watering as she realized that she was at the base of the tower and that Apate was gently holding her.

“Hey, do you want to tell us what’s wrong?” Lady Tyche’s quiet, gentle voice seemed to break the child’s self-control as she burst into tears.

Later, after getting the girl home, Lady Tyche, Princess Meli, and Apate met near the top of the Eiffel Tower. With Apate was a black duffel bag.

The girl was standing there, wearing what the other two quickly realized must be her regular clothes, the black leggings, purple sports bra, and purple running shoes a sharp comparison to the vigilante’s usual ensemble.

When Apate turned to the two heroes, the duo was even more surprised. Instead of the mask that Apate usually wore, that covered not only her mouth and nose but also the top left side of her face, there was a simple domino mask. Around the teen’s neck was a necklace with a small mouse charm. Floating in front of her was a small black god that could only be Plagg.

The girl gave them both a grimace. “go and detransform and put these,” she handed them simple masks. One was red, the other yellow, “on and meet me back here, Plagg and I have an idea. We might be closer to Hawkmoth than we thought.”

By the time Marinette crawled back into bed, it was 7 am and she had to forego more sleep, in favor of getting ready for school.

As she triple-checked her backpack, making sure the black bag had all the things she would need, the teen blindly reached for her phone. Plagg brought it over to her as Mullo watched the teen curiously. Marinette had not brought the grey Kwamii to school before, and the small mouse was slightly unsure of what she was going to experience.

After doing one last sweep of her room, Marinette shoved her feet into a pair of black Converse. Glancing in the mirror, the teen gave her outfit one last look. Black converse, dark washed ripped skinny jeans, a black t-shirt. On the sleeve of the t-shirt was a red chrysanthemum, matching the side of her converse and the key chain the hung off both her backpack and the keyring by her door.

Doing one last scan of her room, again, Marinette grumbled to herself as she realized she had forgotten her jacket. Snagging the grey jacket on her way out, the designer paused to look over the embroidery on the jacket. On the back, the red chrysanthemum shone, the detailed flower eye-catching. Climbing up the sleeves were smaller versions of the flower, and along the side, creeping into the front, were two more, small petals falling to the bottom of the jacket.

Satisfied that her jacket was still in one piece, Marinette hurled herself down the stairs.

In the kitchen was her breakfast, wrapped with a note from her mama. Slipping the food into the top of her backpack, Marinette made sure her purse was stocked with her keys, wallet, Kwamii snacks, and pain killers. A quick look around the kitchen found her emergency sewing kit making its way into her purse before the teen turned back to the kitchen.

At her level of exhaustion, Marinette knew that she was going to need one of her super coffees.

After a second, she turned back to where her cups were looking at her and pulled out two more.

Into her cup, first went extra strong cold brew. A red bull followed it before the two were swished around. After that, Marinette added some of the mocha she kept around to cover the taste of whatever she decided to consume on any given day. Sharing a conspiratorial smile with Plagg, Marinette added the almond milk to top off the drink. Screwing on the lid to her (extra-large) cold cup, the Guardian slid a small saucer with some of her milk over to Plagg who squealed in delight before diving to the miniplate.

While her Kwamii attacked the milk, Marinette made Aurore a drink that she hadn’t made in two years. Cold-brew, a few pumps of vanilla, creamer, a small addition of mocha to top it off.

After screwing on the lid to the cup, Marinette turned to the last cup on the counter. This one, she knew and had made this drink more often she could count. Honey, Chai Tea, milk, a red bull. Mix. Sniggering at Chloé’s reaction the last time she had snuck an energy drink in, Marinette made sure that the gold cup was securely closed.

After grabbing her bag and purse, she loaded the three cups onto a cup holder that had been a gift for her birthday from Chloé the year before. The gold cup gleamed next to the black cup that held Marinette’s drink, and then oh so familiar baby blue cup.

Slipping out the back door of the apartment, Marinette set off at a sharp pace, hoping to get to her Lycée early.

The first thing Marinette did when she got to school was drop off her bags and two of the drinks in her classroom. Then, she went next-door, where Aurore was sitting with a Claude, laughing.

The boy stopped laughing when Marinette approached the duo. While they were friends, the rest of Marinette and Aurore’s friends could be tense when the two were together.

Aurore looked up, her blonde hair sliding over her shoulder as she turned to see what had made her seatmate stop laughing. “hey, Mari.” The smile the girl sent Marinette’s way told the noirette that she was ok to be there.

“hey, A. I thought you might need this.” Aurore’s eyes glanced at what Marinette was holding and lit up.

“is that what I think it is?” the excitement in her voice made Marinette laugh.

“a super coffee just for you? Maybe.” The blonde narrowed her eyes.

“what do I need to do to convince you to give me it?” Marinette smirked, just what she was waiting for. If she played her cards right with Chloé, she could hopefully get the same reaction.

“come over this evening? I have something you may like.” Claude looked up from where he had been fiddling on his phone, ready to object, but the blonde spoke before he could voice his opinion.

“I’ll be there.” Marinette smiled and nodded when Aurore held up her phone, signaling that they could continue to talk through text with fewer observers.

“Chlo may come. are you two still on good terms?” Aurore’s blue eyes widened as she heard the hidden meaning, ‘should I add her to the chat? Fill her in?’ the almost imperceptible nod told Marinette as much as the glowing smile.

“yep! Oooh! I haven’t talked to her outside of school for a minute! I’ll bring the work from our writing class to give to her!”

“Perfect!” Marinette gave Aurore one last smile before she turned and strode back to her classroom.

When she finally slid into her seat at the desk, Chloé was slumped in the chair next to her. The haughty blonde had her head cushioned by her arms; exhaustion evident in every line of her body.

“Hey, Chlo,” Marinette’s voice was soft, but was still met very pointed silence. “did you get caught up with the Akuma attack last night?” the continued silence of her best friend made Marinette giggle. “I brought you a super non-coffee.” Chloé’s head popped up, her eye’s looking dead, her face absent of any makeup.

“Gimmie,” Marinette smirked. ‘Bingo’

“only if you come over after school. I have something I want to show you.” Chloé’s eyes almost glowed in desperation to get ahold of the caffeine in her best friend’s hands.

“Anything.”

“then, your highness,” Chloé paled for a moment, her eyes darting over the room, making sure that none of their, frankly idiotic, classmates made a certain connection. “have your nectar of the gods”

It wasn’t until well into her first class that Marinette remembered to check her phone. Glancing down, she realized that she had received an email from Tim over the last 12 hours. Sneaking a glance up at Madame Bustier, Marinette swiped out of her textbook and into her email. There, waiting for her, was the email.

From: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

To: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

Miss Dupain Cheng,

Who, exactly, is Hawkmoth? I apologize for the direct approach, but well, you mentioned attacks. I haven’t heard of villains or heroes working out of Paris. This is frankly concerning, and it sounds like a situation where anyone fighting this Hawkmoth will have no resources. If you would bring me up to date on this situation, so that I might bring it to the attention of Gotham’s Bats that would be greatly appreciated.

it sounds like you and Gina have had your own adventures together. Not to worry, while she is Gotham with my brother. I’ll be keeping an eye on them. Already, I have heard from Jason that they are getting up to mischief. If you want, I can also poke around and find out how they met, and how they got separated. Jason usually opens up after a good spar.

It’s disappointing that people were coming after you with slander, but it sounds like you are doing the right thing by rebranding and moving forward. I am guessing that this is where you get your reputation for fighting those who invade your privacy and going after those who badmouth you to the press?

You know, it never occurred to me, but how exactly did you meet Jason? It just hit me that you write as if you know him very well, but I haven’t heard how you two met. Was it through your grandmother? I know that she taught Bruce how to defend himself when he was studying abroad. He has stories about your mother and father too, but they never seem connected to your grandmother?

Have a good evening (or morning),

Tim Drake Wayne

P.S. YOU PUT ENERGY DRINKS IN YOUR COFFEE TOO? The first time my brother Dick saw me do that he freaked out. All my family has at one point or another been appalled by what has been dubbed my ‘coffee habit’.

P.P.S. it just hit me that you took a commission from Bruce! This means that we may get to meet again, and this time actually speak!

Marinette smiled at the email.

As she read over the long response, she held back a laugh. It looked like that new commission she had approved a few weeks back for those suits was a good idea.

Glancing over the email again, Marinette suddenly grew very still. She had told Tim about Hawkmoth. Shit. As the class dismissed around her, the noirette sat there, her hands shaking.

She had told someone outside of Paris about their pesky butterfly problem. This someone else was offering to contact Batman.

Taking a steadying breath, Marinette forced herself to prepare for her next class. Tonight, she had a lot to think about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW
> 
> that one was a lot! thoughts? opinions?
> 
> did anyone notice what I was trying to say, without actually stating it? I want to see what guesses I can get before I publish that one-shot about the class dynamics. that one is a little bit away still, I'm going to wait until I have a break in work to do it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> ok ok ok ok
> 
> I have been really excited to post this one, and actually almost posted last night! Self-control? don’t know her!

Marinette was the first one to arrive at the bakery, much to her relief that evening.

After warning her parents that she had friends coming to join her, the teen hurried up the stairs to prepare for the evening. Mullo and Plagg flew off, and Marinette paused in the kitchen to pull together a snack tray, before following the Kwamii up the stairs to her room.

She made sure that while it was hidden, the box was now closer to her reach. Then, she pulled up a word document that had been idling in her computer for the past few months. The document labeled **_Ways Gabriel Agreste has Abused His Son_**.

Pulling up her email, Marinette opened her thread from the emails with Tim. Since she had the time, she may as well respond to his email.

From: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

To: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

Mr. Drake Wayne,

I can’t believe that I included Hawkmoth in that email! I must have been more tired than I thought. Hawkmoth has been terrorizing Paris since I was 12 years old. In the last four years, the man has possessed everyone from a toddler crying over a candy bar to a man grieving his wife’s death. My city has faced real-life myths and legends, as well as children who just wanted a nightlight. Hawkmoth will target anyone who has a negative emotion. Your ice cream dropped? You are an ice cream monster. You fail a test? Suddenly you are giving everyone passing grades. The worst part is, everyone who dies will be brought back, but the person who is possessed won’t remember anything. Many people have moved out of Paris, and most of the remaining citizens have taken up meditation and smaller forms of magic to protect themselves. Although the news won't admit it, our population had dropped quite a bit. Inside the city itself, there are about 1.9 million people now. Many have moved to areas nearby that have proved outside of Hawkmoth’s range. As far as we can tell he only strikes in the city proper. Before you ask, yes, someone is fighting him. Lady Tyche, Apate, and their new member Princess Meli will free the person of the possession and restore the city. They wield magical objects. It's theorized that Hawkmoth also wields a magical object and that’s why they’re the best suited to combat his creations.

It interests me, that you mention bringing this to Batman’s attention, but not the Justice League? Do you, by chance not trust them? I have heard that many people in Paris have called them for help, nothing has come of it, obviously. In my opinion, people don’t actually believe something is happening unless they experience it themselves. For the most part, people who come into Paris will hear rumors of Lady Tyche in passing, but since Princess Meli is new they haven’t heard of our other hero. To even most Parisians, Apate is a legend. To those who know her, she is a vigilante who will not hesitate to end a situation or clean up what the Lady and Princess won’t. Most of the time, however, she is known for following Lady Tyche’s lead. I’ve heard theories that it's because she is more violent and has a darker power than the other two. Once, I heard that she wants to protect the City of Lights, and won't use her powers unless necessary because of it. Some people think that when she uses her powers she spreads bad luck to the people nearby. On the other hand, many think that Lady Tyche leaves lingering good luck.

Sorry for the info dump, there is a lot going on in Paris right now.

Thank you for keeping an eye on Nona and Jason. Jason, as I am sure you know, can be impulsive. Nona isn’t much better. When he was here, Jason mentioned that you tend to be busy most of the time. He was surprised that you had responded so quickly as well, actually. I wanted to add that I am honored!

Thank you for the offer, but I don’t want to pry too much, if Jason is willing to part with the information, I really would like to know about their tike together. Please do not force him though. I am sure there are other ways to know what is actually going on. I do have to ask, what do you mean by ‘good spar’? do you two spar together often? If so, I do hope Jason doesn’t hurt you too often. I know that he usually put his all into everything he does, and I know that he is quite the fighter when he wants to be.

The slander is the work of a jealous girl in my class. She is of no consequence in the long run. I was surprised to find out (through you!) that the Bruce W on my commission list was for your family. Actually, don’t tell the rest of your family, but it’s not just the suits. There are a few gowns in the mix as well. Your family butler, I believe his name is Alfred, is sending me a list of measurements in the next several days.

Jason and I have known each other for as long as I can remember. If you want, ask him how we met. He will have a more concise memory since he is five years older than me. The best I can say right now is that he was the person I relied on for many years before we got separated. Since then, I think we both have grown, but I can still see who he was when he was 12 underneath everything. As I said, Jason would be the one to ask for specifics. Maybe after you ask him about how he knows my Nona?

Have a good day,

Marinette Dupain Cheng

P.S. of course I put energy drinks in my coffee! Is there any other way? If you ever want one of my recipes, let me know! I have a whole collection at this point.

After she had sent the email, Marinette glanced over her room again to make sure everything was ready for when her friends arrived.

As she was getting up to fidget with the pictures, Chloé burst through the trap door. Behind her, Aurore followed at a more sedated pace.

“Mari! Hi! What is this? And why is she here? I thought you two weren’t talking anymore, remember? This is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Aurore raised an eyebrow at the other blonde before smiling at Marinette.

“your parents sent us up with some pastries. I think they were a little thrown off by Chloé and I arriving at the same time.” Here, the girl set the plate she had been holding that couldn’t be seen behind the more aggressive girl. “they mentioned about making sure to remind you that the past is past?” here, the two giggled as Chloé looked between them in confusion.

“Whatever!” she huffed, before flouncing over to Marinette’s chaise and settling herself there with a sniff. After the other two had stopped giggling, Marinette raised an eyebrow at Aurore in question. With a nod, the Ladybug holder turned to smile at Chloé.

“So, Chloé. We know that you and I are not exactly close, but there is something that Marinette and I wanted to bring you in on.” Here, she looked back at Marinette with a smile. Before she could continue, however, the heiress started to interrupt.

“if you two are-” Aurore’s phone started to ring, making the three pause as the girl turned to answer the call

“Mireille? Hey!” she turned and waved to Marinette, motioning her to continue with the conversation while she finished with her friend.

“No, Chloé. It’s more complicated.” Marinette leveled her friend with a look. “plus, if this was the same thing as two years ago, I would have told you earlier. You know that.” as Marinette soothed her friend, a small part of her brain reminded her that there was something that she hadn't told the girl. something that her friend would kill her for.

“Then what on earth is going on, Mari? You know it makes me nervous being out of the loop.” Marinette snorted pointedly at her friend.

“We weren’t trying to keep you out of the loop, C. it’s just…Aurore and I just realized what was going on. We wanted to make sure that we were making the right choice before going further. You have proven that we have.” Marinette paused, watching her friend. When the blonde still looked confused, the younger teen just smiled. “would Pollen like a bowl of honey?” Chloé bilked before laughing.

“Mari, dear. Who on earth is Pollen? Have you made a new friend I didn’t know about?” an indignant voice that Chloé was unfamiliar with responded.

“My Kitten hasn’t, but you have Buzz.” As Aurore finally got off the phone and turned back to the conversation, Chloé let out an ear-piercing shriek.

“OH MY GOD MARINETTE DUPAIN CHENG NO FUCKING WAY!” then, Marinette was falling backward under the force of her best friend tackling her in a hug.

After Chloé had calmed down, the three girls spent the next four hours talking. The first 15 minutes had been about how the original two had handled living a double life for four years. After that, the girls turned their attention to the document that Marinette had pulled up.

The rest of the time was spent overanalyzing the spending Habits of the top four people on Marinette’s suspect list.

When asked why she had the list and not Aurore, the duo explained that many times while Lady Tyche was out patrolling and being a beacon of good luck, Apate would be behind the scenes. Many a night, office buildings would register a break-in before the figure would turn into literal shadows. The security guards who would be sent to investigate would be faced with a missing pane of glass that had suspiciously black edges on the frame. Most of the time, when Apate was ready to leave, if anyone was around, they would lose their senses for the time that it took for her to leave. After, they would think that had simply blinked before getting on with their life.

Using this method, the protectors of Paris were able to cross many off their lists. In the few times, they had entered private residences, the break-in would happen when the family was away.

Of course, Marinette’s hacking skills had come into use, as she had taught Aurore the basics a few years back. Unknowingly, the two had set their alter egos up for success.

The duo had spent more nights than they could remember curled up on a rooftop, laptops booted up. They would spend hours at a time sitting there with paper strewn around them as they raced to hack in and access as many schedules and bank statements as they could. Although it was highly illegal, the two had spent almost as much time working on the internet crossroads to narrow their such as they had fighting Akumas.

Chloé’s awe at the work the two had put in showed. When they asked her to help them continue to narrow down the list she agreed. When she saw the first document sitting open on Marinette’s computer, the shock on her face lasted all of ten seconds before the heiress was helping her teammates dig into the private life of one Gabriel Agreste.

When Marinette had said goodbye to her friends, Aurore left to patrol and Chloé went home with the hope that she could access more sensitive information from her father's unlocked computer. When the other two had raised concerns about it, the teen had waved them off. Apparently, the mayor was much laxer on the security of his work computer than he should be.

After climbing up to her room, Marinette closed down all of the programs that she didn’t need to leave running overnight. As she closed out most of her browser, the teen hesitated, before she clicked into her email. Sitting there, waiting for her was an email that had been received in the middle of her session with her friends.

From: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

To: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

Miss Marinette,

I have to say, you know quite a bit about these heroes that have been fighting in Paris. I started looking up the topics that you mentioned but couldn’t find anything. After several attempts, I used a VPN to make it seem like I was in Paris. That made the entire thing open up like a wrapped present. I must say I am surprised that it hasn’t made its way out of Paris yet. Well, I was surprised, until I was reading through some tourist guides. It seems that the new phrase is what happens in Paris stays in Paris. That, and very thorough censorship on public media. How have you made it this long in that city, without losing it completely?

I was able to flag down Signal, who is known as the Daytime Bat, and passed along what you had sent me. I included my own research as well, so don’t be surprised if they go to investigate further in the near future. Well, I guess you wouldn’t hear of it, but if they show up, it is defiantly because they are concerned.

I wouldn’t say that the JL is not trustworthy, but I trust Batman’s Gotham team more. Maybe it is the familiarity that comes from being rescued frequently from hostage situations. I trust them, and they know that I won't give them information just for the hell of it.it doesn’t help that the JL tends to make a massive mess when they come through town. I would rather they stay far away from me, thank you very much.

So, it turns out that both you and Jason are very cryptic. I don’t know how much you know of the time between when Jason was 13 and his 16th birthday, but he said that he was with a friend of your mother’s? He said that you would know her as Aunt Talia and that your mother was always the more levelheaded of the two. This was…confusing for many reasons, one of which is that your Aunt is my little brother’s bio mom. Anyway, Jason said he was with your Aunt when he met Gina, in ‘this little place in Canada.’ He mentioned an island and a bay that sounded a lot like the Bay of Fundy. If you have any idea why your grandmother would be out there, then we can puzzle out how they met. As for how they got separated, I am afraid that this time it had something to do with a chef? Something about him chasing the two of them out of town with a cleaver? Apparently, this chef is another relation of yours. Marinette, I must be honest, you have quite a few deadly relatives. you aren’t going to come through the screen and slice my head off, will you?

This afternoon, I got a call from the police station, by the way. Apparently, Jason and Gina had been busting drug gangs in their free time and there was some incriminating evidence. I am not quite sure how they got into it, but they have been issued a warning by the local Bats. You may be seeing this chaotic duo again in Europe sooner than either of us would like if this keeps up.

As to the sparing question. Jason, as I believe you are aware by now, likes to keep fit in a variety of ways. Bruce made sure all the children under his roof could fight and protect themselves. This means that while Jason may be the biggest in the family, and I am considered the smallest, I can still beat him in an even spar if I put some work into it. For the most part, I prefer not to use the same tactics that Jason uses, and since he and I tend to train at the same time, we see each other but don’t usually go head to head. I have to say it was quite a rush to beat him earlier today.

Alfred mentioned something about housing a guest who would be making sure that the family was presentable for the Gala. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it? If you do come to Gotham, may I show you around? I know that having an experienced guide in any city makes things much easier.

On that note, I am going to make the assumption the Bruce didn’t know who he was commissioned, so I will warn you that he may ask that you get a background check done. Up until this point, he has only communicated with you through lawyers about the press fiasco. he probably won’t make that connection for a while yet.

Have a good evening,

Tim DW

P.S., of course, I would like the recipes! Any that you send would be greatly appreciated! My family thinks that I rely too much on coffee and not on sleep. Do you have that problem much? It has gotten to the point that I have a few shops that I go to that the rest don’t know I like. It’s the only way to get the sweet nectar of coffee! What is the worst thing you have done to procure caffeine? I hope your family helps you more than mine does. They say that if they didn’t monitor my caffeine intake, they would be enablers.

Marinette giggled at Tim’s frustration with her brother. It looked like the two of them were going to keep it a secret a while longer. Although, when she did go for the Gala, and the fittings the week before, it would only be a matter of time before the Waynes figured out the two were related. After all, the features of Willis Todd are hard to hide.

Still smiling, Marinette made a note to tell the others that Batman had been notified.

Glancing at the time, Marinette reached blindly for the cold cup sitting nearby. The grey cup that was covered in pink sparkles read ‘I can’t talk right now. Leave a message after the squeak!’ The cup was one that Marinette had made after she started to wield Mullo, the mouse Kwamii, more.

Mullo and Plagg had been instrumental to her while she had been investigating the many businesses of Paris. Since then, the teen had kept the mouse around as an alternate form of defending herself. While the public had not been introduced to Little Mouse, the quiet vigilante had done quite a bit of work for the City.

As Marinette sipped on her current super coffee, (cold brew, two shots of espresso, one pump of vanilla syrup, and a mocha monster. affectionately named Minnie Mouse) she made a list of her tasks for the night. If she could send off the sketches of what the Waynes wanted for their gala pieces, then she could do the basic list of things she would need to get at the fabric store the next day. After making her list, she could start on her design for her own dress. Glancing back up to her computer, Marinette froze. She had to email Tim back at some point as well.

As she was standing to retrieve her camera and sketchbook, Marinette’s personal email dinged. Glancing over, she realized it was an email from Tim. Again. With a frown, the teen opened the message. The email was in no way close to the formal communications the two had been trading.

From: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

To: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

MARINETTE

I AM SO SORRY. WHEN THE WHOLE PRESS THING HAPPENED, WE ALL TALKED ABOUT IT AS A FAMILY. JASON WASN’T THERE AND I JUST FOUND OUT WHY. HE AND BRUCE WERE YELLING AND I WASN’T EAVESDROPPING BUT I HAD GONE TO TALK TO B AND HE HAD BEEN YELLI GAT JASON ABOUT SEEING A SISTER.

JASON WAS YELLING AND TOLD B TO SHOVE OFF BECAUSE AND I QUOTE-

“MARINETTE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY FAMILY EMERGENCY AND IF VISITING HER WOULD GET HIM IN TROUBLE THAN HE WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FAMILY.”

YOU

ARE

JASON’S

SISTER

HOLY SHIT

-tim

Marinette’s brain came to a screeching halt as she read the email once, twice, three times before letting out a string of curses. Dammit, Jason.

She collected her thoughts and pulled up an open template to respond to the other teen

From: [Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com](mailto:Mari_Beri2001@gmail.com)

To: [timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com](mailto:timdrakeeeee99@gmail.com)

Tim. Please tell me you have taken a deep breath and have had time to reflect since you send the last email.

Yes, Jason is my older brother. Well, half-brother. My mother died when I was young, and since she had been having an affair with Willis Todd (a horrible man, by the way.) she had put his name down on my birth certificate. Catherine definitely never liked me, but she put up with my presence. Multiple times, Jason and I would run away or end up on the streets because of the fighting that would happen in that house. One day, I ran when Jason wasn’t around and was caught by CPS. Up and away I was sent to France whit the couple who had found me when I ran away from CPS. Jason thought I was dead until that scandal broke almost two months ago. That’s why he vanished. He came here to visit me. This was the first time I have seen him in 10 years. Neither of us was exactly thinking clearly.

It doesn’t surprise me that your father knows that Jason and I are siblings. However, it also wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t make it very far down that path. Jason thought I was dead for years. I kept tabs on him, but that doesn’t mean he knew about that until he got over here.

I am going to respond to your last email as well.

Yes, the current plan is for me to arrive in Gotham. About a week before the Christmas Gala. That way, I’ll have time to do any last-minute fixes. I would love to have you show me around your city if that offer is still open. I haven’t been to Gotham since I was 6 years old, so I don’t remember much of the place.

-Marinette

Ps, I’ll send those recipes soon. I don’t think you want a super coffee tonight. 😊

After hitting send, Marinette sighed. With luck, she could have her list done by dawn. What was one more super coffee, after all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one I think is really important because Tim and Mari aren’t super formal in their talking anymore. also...who can guess what went down with Aurore and Mari???
> 
> also, thank you to everyone who has left Kudos and Comments! it makes me soooooooooooo excited, and I always want to glue myself to my computer until I get the next chapter done :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok! this is really short, but I wanted to give an idea of what was going on in Gotham during the last (full) chapter.

Tim was in full panic mode.

Today had been going so well. He had gotten his work done in advance. He was free for the evening and was planning on putting his computer away and getting some sleep. He just had to pass on some paperwork to Bruce, and he would be free.

Marinette had responded to him, and he was really enjoying talking with her. No matter how cryptic she was about certain things, like how she knows Jason, he thinks he has found a kindred spirit in the French teen.

As he made his way down the manor’s back stairs to the kitchen, Tim was too wrapped up in his phone to pay attention to what was going on around him. when Bruce’s yelling broke through the haze of focus, Tim blinked in shock. He didn’t think Damian, or He had done anything wrong in the recent past. That narrowed down who could be in the room with Bruce. Cass was in Hong Kong, Duke was away at school, and Dick wasn’t supposed to be home for another week. That left…Jason? What had he done this time?

Tim shrugged to himself. Putting down his phone, the teen turned to rummage through the cabinets in the kitchen.

Even though he drank coffee more often, Tim could appreciate a good cup of tea. Especially when he wasn’t aiming to be up all night. Once he had set the drink to steep, Tim picked up his phone, intending to check and see if Marinette had responded yet. As he keyed in his password, a snippet of the argument in the next room caught his attention.

“-CAN’T JUST UP AND LEAVE!”

“WELL FUCK THAT B! MARINETTE WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANY FAMILY EMERGENCY AND IF VISITING HER GETS ME IN TROUBLE THAN I WANT NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS FAMILY! SHE WAS MY FAMILY FIRST.”

“THAT DOSENT EXCUSE THE WAY YOU HANDLED IT, JASON. WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!”

a scoff broke though the silence at Bruce’s exclamation had Tim tensing. It wasn’t often that these two fought anymore, but when they fought it was always explosive.

Turning away, Tim processed what his brother had snarled at Bruce before his brain kicked into overdrive.

While in the background, he could hear Jason snapping at Bruce, that ‘sometimes simple solutions like calling a fucking cellphone are best’, Tim was pulling up his email and sending a panicking email to the only person he knew who is named Marinette. The same Marinette who knew Jason. The Marinette who was being incredibly cryptic about how she had met Jason.

When Tim made it back to his room, he glanced back down at his phone. There, sitting in his inbox, was a response from Marinette.

After glancing over it, Tim let himself pause. For a moment, he just stood there, letting the information settle in his brain. Then he hesitantly put his phone down.

As much as he wanted to respond and demand that she give more information, he knew that as late as it was in Gotham, (was it already 11 pm?) it would be very early in Paris. Tim also knew that he didn’t like getting emails early in the morning, especially if he doesn’t want to talk about the topic. With a sigh, he turned to his desk, where a melatonin capsule was waiting for him.

it was time for him to get some real sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been missing, yall! work has been busy, and they've moved me from 30 to 40 hours. usually, I wouldn't complain but added to my school work and that I'm trying to write, and I was getting burned out. that's why after uploading Before, I took some time to let my brain stew. over the next few weeks, I will get back to my normal update schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Saturday. 
> 
> onto more stuffs!   
> I didn't have Marinette respond to the whole of Tim's email, because I think that she would be too shocked, and panicked, to respond reasonably.   
> like I said earlier, let me know if there are any Miraculous pairings you want to see, or if there are any new ones you think would be neat.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do me a favor, please check the tags! they have changed a bit since my last update.  
> ok, you looked? good. THERE WILL BE A SECTION THAT HAS ALLUSIONS TO SUICIDE.  
> it is very brief, and almost not worth mentioning. it has been marked and there is a summary after.
> 
> please please please please take moment to read the authors note at the end.
> 
> ok, enjoy!

Marinette slid into her seat at school.

In one hand was Chloé’s not coffee, in the other, was her zombie-maker. The drink was the strongest one she could make, and the girl had another one in her locker.

When Lila flounced by, Marinette rolled her eyes at the girl. She didn’t have the energy to care about the Italian today. She had been up all night and had more things to worry about. While her classmates chattered on and talked about what their plans were for the weekend the tired girl collapsed into her seat, grateful that they were too busy to pay attention to her.

“bad night?” Chloé’s question pulled Marinette from her thoughts.

“I had a commission to get out this morning. Well, two. One for our Princely friend, and one for my cousin.” Chloé was used to Marinette using nicknames for her clients in public and lit up at the mention of Clara and Prince Ali. Then, she frowned.

“Marinette. Did. You. Sleep. Last. Night.” The teen flushed slightly before mumbling

“no, Chloé. Last night was not the night of sleep.” Here, she looked up, “it was the night of death coffee.” The horror on her friend’s face was the best thing Marinette had seen all week.

As they turned towards the front for class to begin, one of the other conversations filtered towards the two girls.

**(don't read this part, if the warnings in the A/N applied to you!)**

“has anyone seen Adrien?”

“he was supposed to be here early…”

“well, he isn’t answering his phone.”

“Oh! I hope he is ok! It would be just terrible if something happened to him!” _(a/n this is totally Lila. You can’t tell me otherwise. She’s a dramatic lil shit to the end)_

The friends exchanged worried glances before pulling out their phones. There, sitting on Marinette’s screen was a text to herself, Chloé, and Alix. With a frown, the noirette keyed open her phone as she navigated into her messaging app, a quiet comment from Nino caught her attention.

“he hasn’t exactly been happy recently. Last night Adrien and I face timed and when we hung up I was worried.”

**(Safe to read past this! **if you skipped, the (very brief) summary is that Adrien didn't show up to school, and some of the others are speculating about him. Nino mentions that he was worried about Adrien’s mental health.** )**

After the class was over, the two girls slipped out of the building and into the Blonde’s car. Sitting there, waiting for them was a tired-looking model. “Adrien? Are you ok?” Marinette’s concern was palpable. The boy glanced behind his friend to make sure that their classmates weren’t around.

“My dad did something. I had to- I can’t go back. I didn’t have much time to plan, but…I’m not going back.” Marinette tensed at her friend’s words, before yanking a now fuming Chloé into her car and making a shooing motion. They needed to move, and fast.

As the three made their way out of the city, Marinette sent Aurore a warning that she and Chloé would be a ways away for the next couple hours at the least. Any help would take some time to get there.

Once they arrived at what Chloé would always call ‘her house’ the group piled out of the car quickly. In reality, it was a small townhouse that her family had owned as far back as she could remember. It had been the first place the Style Queen had bought. While the woman kept it for nostalgia, Chloé had taken over the townhouse.

After the three had made it inside, they put down their school bags and made their way to the small nearby sitting room. There, they curled up together and talked.

Adrien explained what had happened over the past 24 hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! hey! hey! I'm back!  
> if you hang out on Tumblr with me, you may know that I took a small mental health break. I'm in the space to start writing again, so I wanted to post what I had already written before I disappeared. 
> 
> this fic is going to get darker. I don't usually write angst, but the next chapter (or two) will be as close as I get. it's going t deal with the death of Adrien's mother, and the mess inside the Agreste household. there will be allusions to suicide, there will be mentions of child abuse. it is going to much darker than I intended. IF you don't feel like reading it, or cannot I will leave a summary at the end of each chapter and leave a warning at the beginning.
> 
> now, I'm back! there are more details on my Tumblr, (@itsmeevie01) but the short version is that my mental health took a nosedive, and I could barely get out of bed. I'm on the mend, so updates should be fairly regular from here on out.  
> I wanted to say thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has been commenting and interacting...yall make my day!
> 
> like I said, we are going to take a moment to visit Adrien and explore what's going on with the resident sunshine child. don't worry, I'm killing him off (I don't think?).  
> now, the question of the hour, what Miraculous should Adrien get???????


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hey hi hi  
> ok! today's post has some heavier topics again, but there isn't anything too harsh(?)
> 
> the only warning that I think may apply is child abuse. listen yall, Adrien has not had it easy.   
> if you want to skip the darker parts, I have a bolded A/N in there. otherwise, I will leave a summary in the beginning of the next chapter.  
> enjoy!

Adrien Agreste was tired. 

For the last four years, the teen had been attending school, making friends, and fine-tuning his social skills. For the last three years, the blond model had been fighting his father to keep Lilliana Rossi off of him, literally.   
There had been many fights in the shining marble halls of the Agreste manor that had ended with Gabriel smiling smugly, and Adrien close to, or in tears. Since their last fight about his public persona (and mostly Lila), Adrien had taken pains to avoid his father. They obviously had very different views on many of the things that Adrien considered essential.   
The last fight had ended with Gabriel snapping, and telling Adrien that there would be no more debates. The next time, it wouldn’t only be the end of school, but he would lose his phone, his computer, his books, everything. Then next time, he would be sent away, and would only see tutors, and a caretaker.   
The threat of isolation to that degree had sent Adrien into a fuming rage. That night, he had called Marinette. She had helped him sneak out, and like countless other times, she had taken him to her Nona’s house to decompress and work through his emotions. That last fight had been three weeks ago, and Adrien couldn’t help but feel like the walls were closing in on him.

Now, as the teen walked the halls late at night, he couldn’t help but feel like a change was coming. He couldn’t tell if it was good or bad, but the 17-year-old knew that he needed to be out of the way when whatever was going on in this house imploded.

He slipped into the library that had been his solace in his early teens. The room now stood dark and slightly neglected. The space had always belonged to his mother, Emilie. When she had… Adrien pushed aside that thought. 

Without her here, the library had been ignored by Gabriel and avoided by the staff. When he ran his finger over the table closest to him, Adrien made a face at the dust that came up. It seemed that he was to only one to enter in quite a while. Walking further into the room, the blond teen frowned at the large windows on the far end of the room.   
Never in the entire time, he had lived in the manor, had Adrien seen those curtains closed. He knew that his father had put in (a completely for show) garden and that the area picked had been directly under the windows. While he had expresses interest, none of the adults in the house would allow the only child to venture into the garden, claiming that Gabriel was the only one allowed.

As he pulled back the curtains and looked down at the space where there was supposed to be a garden, Adrien wondered how many people in the manor knew what his father was doing.   
He stared at the small grotto that was the only piece of the original design that he had seen. Behind the first row of hedges was…a butterfly farm? Yes, that had to be what that was, at the very top of the enclosed space where the myriad of butterflies gathered, was a window. The windows close to the center were purple, framing the ornate butterfly window.   
While he was standing there, the teen noticed the door below him slamming open, wrapping himself in the curtains to (slightly) conceal his presence, Adrien watched in shock as his father strode into the grotto. Nathalie followed a step behind, her ever-present clipboard gone. Instead, she was pinning a broach that Adrien had never seen before onto her jacket.

The shock that the teen had been feeling morphed into mute horror as he blinked away the bright flashes that had appeared from the not-so-secret room. Where his father had been standing a moment ago, now stood the infamous Hawkmoth. Behind him, instead of Nathalie, stood the fabled Mayora that Lady Tyche had been fighting for the last four years.   
Fuck.

When Nino called, Adrien worked to calm his features. While he was still shaking from what he had seen, he didn’t need one of his best friends worrying over something that they couldn’t handle. Pasting a smile on his face, Adrien accepted Nino’s call. He knew that he wasn’t doing the best job of distracting his friend, but this wasn’t something that could be talked about over the phone.

Once Nino had hung up, obviously concerned for his friend but agreeing to wait until the morning to talk in person, Adrien put his phone down and took a steadying breath. It was late enough that his father should be in bed. Now was the best time to pack.  
Adrien snuck out before daybreak. He had two suitcases with him. on each case was a duffel bag, and his backpack was slung over one shoulder. While the boy looked fresh and ready for the day, in reality, he had spent the night moving his stuff to the house he and Marinette had visited on occasion. She had emphasized that he was always welcome, and the blond teen wasn’t sure what else to do. 

Now, he was going to make the final trek, before hiding there throughout the day. As soon as he didn’t show up for school, Adrien knew that Nathalie was going to get a phone call.

When Chloé had told him that she would send her car to get him, Adrien had been skeptical.   
Now though, he was standing there in shock as her butler loaded his belongings into the car and gestured for him to follow. Cautiously, the teen slipped into the back seat of the car and kept his head down ad they pulled into traffic. 

His goal was to make sure that he wasn’t seen, no matter what.

**(ok, A/N time! this is where I did a tiny little time skip. I couldn't figure out how to make it run better. I will probably come back and fix it at some point though...this is after Adrien has caught Mari and Chlo up to speed!)**

When Adrien looked up from where he was twisting his hands, he was met with two sets of furious blue eyes. Chloé was visibly shaking, while Marinette was gripping her knees with white-knuckled hands.  
“Adrien” the sadness that was in Marinette’s tone when she breathed his name told the blond enough about what was going through her mind. The next moment, he felt two pairs of arms wrapping around him. and, in the comfort of his friends, Adrien Agreste finally started to cry.

While Adrien cried and finally let himself feel the emotions running through him, Chloé and Marinette held a silent conversation over his head. Chloé very clearly wanted to march into the Agreste manor and tell Gabriel off, but Marinette wasn’t sure that the plan was…sound.   
Instead, she nudged the heiress into calling Aurore, who rushed over to see what had the girls so worked up. 

When her ex arrived, Marinette left Adrien in the care of a very overprotective Chloé and walked the older Hero through what they had found out. While Lady Luck stewed and thought over different plans, Marinette gathered the Kwamiis that were present and caught them up to speed. 

The group of four spent their afternoon and a good part of the evening gathered in Chloé’s little house. It wasn’t until Marinette got a call from her parents that the group tuned back into the rest of the world. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok, what do we think?  
>  I'm pretty sure where this story is going for the moment, but this Adrien side trip was not in the plans!  
> The next chapter will be the fallout, and then we can get back to the Timari goodness everyone is actually here for!  
> also, this is the last chance to have a say in what Miraculous Adrien gets. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm going with, but it could change last minute. 
> 
> opinions on Gabriel? also...what do you think happened to Emilie?


End file.
